Do you ever feel like no matter what you do nothings happening?
Like results just seem to take forever?
This fitness malarky ain’t easy, for the simple reason we over complicate and can’t see the forest for the trees.
Every single week I speak to someone who feels like they aren’t making any progress or results aren’t happening quick enough.
It’s human nature to want RESULTS yesterday, we are all so impatient (me included).
It’s why these quick fix scams like herbalife / juiceplus etc are billion dollar companies.
They prey on everyone’s insecurities and convince you that in 6 weeks you will have the body of your dreams.
It’s funny because we all secretly hope that there’s just 1 little product or secret that will make this weight loss stuff really easy, without even trying.
Do you know what the best diet is?
Your next diet :p
I want to let you know that feeling this way is normal, it’s part of the journey and it’s really important to reflect back and see how far you’ve come.
Think of the horizon as your goal, every time you get closer it seems further away.
Turn around for a second and see how far you’ve come?
How did you feel before you started?
This last week has been really tough for me, I’ve been training for nearly a year towards some pretty serious strength goals for a course coming up in 2 weeks time.
The closer I was getting to the course, the further away my goals started to seem.
I’ve been busting my ass 5 days a week, almost every week for a whole year.
I’ve been mindful of what I’ve been eating and still the doubts kept creeping in.
I had a practice run a few weeks ago and failed miserably.
Last week due to work and other bits and bobs I never trained, tbh I really couldn’t be that bothered.
I felt like all the hard work just wasn’t getting me anywhere, I still wasn’t anywhere near where I wanted to be.
Here was my problem, my expectations were unrealistic…
Does this sound familiar?
Like I was expecting to do what would take most people a few years in less than 9 months.
I convinced myself that If I worked really hard I could get there.
This week I had a little chat and accepted that I would just do what I could do for my course and take the extra time to achieve the goals (you get 6 months after the course).
I’m actually not that far away but far enough to not push it and risk getting injured.
Anyway today I was teaching my students how to press a kettlebell, and they were asking what I could do…
Bare with me as I talk about some boring exercise but the moral of the story is the same as expecting to drop 3 dress sizes yesterday.
I said my best was a 28kg and was working towards the 32kg (my nemesis).
Let me tell you about the 32kg, basically its a fricking huge lump of steel that I never in a million years considered swinging let alone press over my head.
So my first kettlebell set I got about 3 years ago maybe a bit longer was a 16, 24 & 32.
I remember going to pick them up from the shop, I could hardly get the 16 into the car and the guy had to help with the others.
When I opened it up it looked like some sort of world’s strongest man training implement, I remember laughing and thinking who on earth uses this.
BTW the original sets only came in 16/24/32 format.
I thought the 32 was for the huge strongmen to throw around and it actually never moved for years.
When I completed my first instructor course I had to press 2 x 24kg overhead for 5 reps in order to pass (there was other stuff).
But I failed, here’s the video of my first attempt after the course which was another fail.
I had trained for about 6 months before the course and then a further 3 months up to the wire in order to get a shaky 5 reps.
The course was in November 2014 so about a year ago, and I passed the testing in February.
The 32kg is a 25% increase and honestly is fricking heavy, I just never thought i’d get there any time soon.
So today messin around with the students, I gave it a go and boom it shot right up.
I couldn’t believe it, obviously I was chuffed but it got me thinking…
It reminded me of how far I have came and that I AM GETTING BETTER, I’m making progress and that all the work is paying off.
Trust the process, be consistent and everything will fit into place ;)
Let me link it back to weight loss, you’re not going to drop 3-4 dress sizes over night, you’re going to have bad days and weeks but you can still make progress.
Remember the stuff you couldn’t do before you started?
When I look back at the person who started my journey he doesn’t compare, he was weak, unhappy, lifeless, bored, fed up, unhealthy, fat and lesser in every way.
I’m not finished, I still want to be stronger, leaner and lots of other cool things…
But I’m better than before and can only imagine what I will be this time next year ;)
Look back at the old you and ask yourself this…
Are you better?
Robert “Got the 40kg In My Sights” Clarkson
P.S. Here’s a cheeky video I did tonight of the 32kg